Cheerwine Campaign Dares Fans to Resist Smiling

After 99 years of delighting taste buds, Cheerwine is boldly seeking to understand why anyone who drinks this unique soft drink can’t not smile, through a series of fun experiments this year in “Cheerwine Labs.”

On April 4, Cheerwine debuted its “Betcha Can’t Not Smile” marketing campaign via digital video, radio, social media, and at smile-inducing events across the Southeast where attendees can participate in the challenge.

“Cheerwine Labs” is the centerpiece of the ad campaign, with spokes guy Bo Stevenson testing if everyone—from real people off the street to a tough biker dude and a DMV employee—can resist smiling after tasting the family-owned soft drink from Salisbury, North Carolina.

Complete with lab coats and lots of “science-y” visuals and terminology, Bo (joined by his lab assistant, Stan) will be seen testing additional theorems in “Cheerwine Labs” throughout 2016 as new creative from the campaign rolls out.

“We thought it would be fun to find out what it is about Cheerwine that makes people smile—whether they grew up with the brand or are trying it for the first time. Perhaps it’s as simple as Cheerwine’s unique, legendary taste. Or maybe it’s the emotional connection that Cheerwine has with fans,” says Joy Ritchie, Cheerwine’s head of marketing and fifth-generation family member.

Cheerwine is daring people across the country to take the “Betcha Can’t Not Smile” challenge on social media, and share their “scientific findings” using the hashtag, #CheerwineLabs.

Cheerwine will roll out a series of new video ads on sites such as YouTube and other leading video-ad networks. The new radio campaign will debut in all of Cheerwine’s existing markets, from its home in the Carolinas, up and down the East Coast and across the Southeast.

To bring the “Betcha Can’t Not Smile” challenge directly to new “test subjects,” Cheerwine will conduct “controlled experiments” in lab settings, as well as “field experiments” in surprising and fun places throughout the summer.

“Our new campaign truly captures what makes Cheerwine great, and that’s the combination of a unique one-of-a-kind taste and a cheerfulness that has always been a part of the experience,” says Cliff Ritchie, president and CEO. “The ‘Betcha Can’t Not Smile’ campaign is a fun, lighthearted challenge that encourages consumer participation and brings a little cheer to their day.”

The “Betcha Can’t Not Smile” integrated-marketing campaign was created by The Padgett Smith Project in Charleston, South Carolina.

News and information presented in this release has not been corroborated by QSR, Food News Media, or Journalistic, Inc.